FEI World Reining Masters Finalists

During the Countdown to the $ 100,000.-- FEI World Reining Masters Finale (Oklahoma City, OK, December 2, 2004) we will give you details of the finalists of each country. Altogether, 15 nations are competing so far. Well start with Volker Schmitt, Germany, and Storm Warning Whiz.

35-year-old Volker Schmitt startet riding at the age of 20. During a stay at British Columbia, Canada, he came to know western riding and was fascinated by it. Following time spent in the U.S. under the guidance of Jack Brainard, Volker returned to Germany where he won the Year End Rookie Championship. In 2000, he represented Germany at the Reining Demonstration held during the World Equestrian Games in Rome and though he had only started riding reiners a couple of years prior to this important venue, Schmitt did not waste time. Today Schmitt is a well known professional who has placed and won in major European events. His resume includes showing in the NRHA Futurity in Oklahoma City (fifth in Intermediate Open astride Who is My Daddy), as well as being part of the German Team in the 2002 CRIO held in Reggio Emilia, Italy, and at the World Equestrian Games in Jerez, Spain.

During the FEI World Reining Masters Final 2004, Volker Schmitt will ride Storm Warning Whiz, a 10-year-old American Quarter Horse stallion owned by Theo Kerkhoff. Storm Warning Whiz is by Topsail Whiz, a very successful sun of Bob Loomis' legendary Topsail Cody. Storm Warning Whiz' mother is Just Wanna, a granddaughter of the famous Peppy San Badger. The stallion was bred in Oklahoma. He was Derby Finalist Ltd. Open USA, NRHA money earner in the U.S. and Germany, several times Bronze Trophy Champion and has his Register of Merit (ROM) of the American Quarter Horse Association in reining.

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